I’ve noticed a shift in the Themes coming up as of late, Elelmentor seems to be the builder of choice. As a matter of fact, that’s even happening with two themes I bought here. They were already released with VC and out of nowhere, they are now updated for Elementor. Jupiter 6 from Artbees was a VC theme. They flipped the script with no warning and released Jupiter X with Elementor. Qode Interactive is also rapidly updating the Bridge theme with Elementor. Even when Artbess promises to keep updating Jupiter 6 with Visual Composer, I know for sure they will eventually drop it.
Now, I don’t mind the competition at all. However, in the world of WordPress design, these tools are rather not compatible and offer no clear path to switch from one to the other without spending a humongous amount of time to rebuild, or worst redo from scratch 
. I mean imagine a site with a theme with VC where you already have done 30-40 pages and the developer drops VC and goes with Elementor out of nowhere? Ha! that would be troubling, right?
So, as designers who buy those themes and create for clients where do we stand and how do we future proof ourselves with these theme developers switching the builders and leaving us with our bottom hanging? The worst here is that Envato as a distributor doesn’t have one single line of policy on this. Well, at least not any I was able to find clearly anyway.
At this point, the only themes that seem a good option to use are the ones with own in-house builders, like Avada, Be Theme, and Kallyas.
What are your thoughts guys? Are the themes with VC worth the investment anymore?
Out of interest - what policy could envato have on this?
Don’t forget, envato don’t own any item for sale here and as such have zero control over the authors decision to develop their item as they see fit.
Speaking as an experienced buyer (who prefers elementor!), the decision to add new builders etc to existing items is simply a matter of natural progression. There will always be something new coming along, and if an author can improve their item generally and for future buyers, then why should/would they not?
WP bakery/visual composer is so big that I don’t think you have much to worry about. Don’t forget that they made a fairly sizeable update recently too with the new visual composer.
On a side note (not aimed at you specifically), speaking as someone who has used envsto items for clients in the past, I strongly believe that anyone willing to take on paid or “client” work, especially those who take the cheap option (for whatever reason) need to take responsibility for delivering that client the website and managing their expectations. It is not right to be offering paid for or professional. web/design/build services, if success relies on third party authors or marketplaces.
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Why would envato have any policy for this?? Authors own their product and they can to do anything they want - update it, delete it or anything they want. Keeping the product updated helps author to gain new buyers and just because of those new buyers you are able to receive any new updates, at all.
Trends can change anytime - today its elementor, tomorrow it can be something else, and in this case, themes need to follow those trends or else they are out of business.
Its not just about themes, when you chose your stack - its becomes your responsibility. What if avada stops pushing out new updates from tomorrow?? You counted on their builder, right?? What if WordPress goes out of trend?? Who will you blame in such cases?? and yeah, please don’t think that such things are not possible as similar things have happened in past. Once widely used angularjs is also going to end its support next year.
Why would envato have any policy for this?
My writing of “The worst here is that Envato as a distributor doesn’t have one single line of policy on this” was more of a wonder. Maybe I should revise it and add “I wonder if Envato could”
Now, they probably don’t need/have to and won’t. However, that doesn’t mean they CAN’T. After all, any marketplace owner has the overall power to make, add, or change policies. So, from the door, please let’s not go around acting like Envato can’t do nada if they ever want to!
“Speaking as an experienced buyer (who prefers elementor!), the decision to add new builders etc to existing items is simply a matter of natural progression.”
True! However, IMO, some of it is happening because the world of WordPress is broken into so many layers and being overseen by too many different set of people who makes their own decision without involving the rest. WP Core, Builders, Themes, and Plugins; Those 4 are rarely on the same page. It’s always a catch up with me in the update department.
“You counted on their builder, right?”
I don’t even have Avada. I just know that they have their own in-house Fusion builder which has always received a great dose of updates as I always check their page. But then again, it’s not that I think they are a rock and can’t be broken. Since I’m not using them, it’s more of an assumption they somehow have a more trusted theme since the builder is already integrated.
Thanks for chiming in!
Not sure why is this even a question when we know that whatever Envato could want to do, will do!
As I’ve mentioned in another reply, I was more like wondering about what could be done, IF any can be done, NOT that something HAS to be done. So, it’s not a shot, rage, or anything like that against Envato.
“I strongly believe that anyone willing to take on paid or “client” work, especially those who take the cheap option (for whatever reason) need to take responsibility for delivering that client the website and managing their expectations.”
Nowhere I said I am not, wasn’t and will not take responsibilities. However, to add that “It is not right to be offering paid for or professional. web/design/build services, if success relies on third party authors or marketplaces.” is strongly debatable because even some of the biggest agencies/firms in the world rely on third-parties to handle certain work that their workforce can’t do under certain situation (lack of knowledge, tight deadline, and so on…) Yes, they rely on third-party authors, coders, designers, etc… After all, that is a good part of the creators’ community that Envato itself built with all the different blocks (Themeforest, CodeCanyon, etc…). But then again, I may be missing something here, the context in that writing I guess.
So, I think that part was a shot even indirectly hahaha!!! 
(All good though). Yes, I’m no coder but I know a good deal on the code and language of WP, I can handle a whole lot of the CSS in those themes (and still improving my skill on that area). However, I just wrote this topic just to get a conversation going and get some insight from others, not to flex on how much I can do with or without a theme. I left that out because if whatever theme I use stop being developed or WP goes extinct then I know I’ll find a way to keep trucking. I’ll hate that I have to put a heavy amount of hours to jump on the next big thing or whatever it is BUT I’ll join and be there like everybody else who chose to. Just that I’d rather not have to!
Hopefully, you understand my POV here.
Thanks!